Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-26
M'GARIG1E STILL AT LARGE.
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS.
They Must Pay The Same Railroad Fare
as Common People

as Common People.
WASHINGTON, July 25th.-The Interstate COM
merce Commission delivered an opinion to-day
in four of the cases recently brought before it.
The cases entitled Lewis Harrison against the
Gradd Trunk Railroad Company, and the Michi-
gan Central against the same company, were
heard together. The charge is unjust discrimi-
nation. Harrison complains that the road would
not sell him thousand-mile ticket at the price
paid by commercial travellers. and the Michigan
Central complains that the Grand Trunk Com
pany was selling to commercial travellers at lower
rates than to the public generally. The defend
ants admit the fact as charged but aver that
nothing alleged is in conflict with the law. The
opinion reviews and discusses at length the vari-
Gus points set up by the defendant, and con-
cludes as follows:
Common carriers may continue the issuance
of mileage passenger tickets, the charges for
which must be reasonable and free from unjust
discrimination or unreasonable preference.
Persons belonging to the class known as COM
mercial t. avelers are not privileged TO ride over
railroads at lower rates than are paid by other
persons. Whatever reasonable rates CONNER
cial travellers are made to pay, other travellers
may be asked to pay. To charge one more than
another is unjust discrimination, and this is
true whether the tickets issued are mileage
tickets in some other form. The refusal of the
defendant-the Chicago and Grand Trunk Rail
way Company-to sell complainant harrison q
thousand-mile ticket for SO, the price at which
said company was selling such tickets to COM
mercial travellers, and its neglect to publish the
rates at which defendants were offering to sell
mileage tickets, were alike III conflict with the
Act to regulate commerce.
The case of the st. Louis wholesale groceTs
against the Missouri Pacific embodies a COM
plant that. while commutation tickets are sold
at rates which would amount to not more than
SIS for eco miles. thousand-mile tickets upon
which commercial travellers travel are not sold
for less than S25. The Commission is also asked
TO order and direct that discrimination be made
in favor of commercial travellers. The Commits.
sion does not regard the fact that cOmmuta-
tion tickets are put on sale at q given
rate TO be one that entities the purchasers OF
mileage tickets to complain of unjust discrimi.
nation. If it chargesss higher rate the circum-
stances and conditions, the opinion says. are
not the same. The Commission finds nothing
in the testimony submitted going to show that 4
charge OF S25 for a thousand-mile ticket is un-
reasonable. In respect to the order it is re-
queSted to make in favor of commercial tray
elers, the opinion says "The entire policy and
spirit of the law are against it, and when mile
age tickets, as distinguished from trip tickets
are issued they should be sold to all impartially
and on the same terms
The case of K. w. Thacker, of Schenectady,
n. Y, against the F.tehburg Railroad Company
and others for excessive rates on grain to Bos
ton is dismissed for want of equity.
In the Barton Stock Car Company case the de
cision is to the eject that there is no apparent
ground on which railroads can be ordered tC
pay milege to the Barton Company. In respect
to the alleged unreasonableness of the charge
to shippers of stock by the Barton cars. in ex.
cess to that of shippers by ordinary cars the
Commission say the case is not satisfactorily
| presented.